


Archaeology

by oswinry



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 20:12:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17351843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oswinry/pseuds/oswinry
Summary: River and the Doctor on an outing. Utterly shameless fluff.





	Archaeology

**Author's Note:**

> Written for River/Doctor day 2017.
> 
> * * *

“I don’t see why we couldn’t have just used the Tardis,” the Doctor complained, angrily flipping his hair out of his eyes. “We could have gone to the height of Artatraxil’s golden age, if you’re so curious about it. I took Amy there once, as a matter of fact. Why do we have to _dig_?"  
  
At a different time–perhaps even earlier that day–River might have waxed eloquent regarding the value of hard work, the thrill of discovery, the need for grounding and permanence, and so on. Now, she just shot him a glare. “I seem to remember you asking that five minutes ago. You–” she poked him in the chest–"need to be more patient, sweetie. Maybe this will teach you.“  
  
“Ha, as if you’re any better,” the Doctor muttered.  
  
River fixed him with a steely gaze. “I, unlike you, have lasted this whole dig and haven’t complained once. I also have the patience to put up with your horrid driving and your equally horrid bow tie. That vast patience is currently running very low,” she emphasized.  
  
He sighed, and went back to digging. River did likewise, but paused, arrested suddenly by him, his nearness and reality.  
  
As she grew older and he grew younger, she found herself longing more and more for stillness, for quiet moments with him. He was so young now, so fiery and full of promise, and he didn’t want to keep still, didn’t want to wait. He wanted to know every part of her, and though she enjoyed being enigmatic, she wished sometimes that her Doctor was here, the one who knew her inside and out and was content to just sit and gaze at her.  
  
Of course, when he had been (would be?) that Doctor, she had been equally impatient and somewhat more violent. They both of them, she mused, had taken a long time to learn patience.  
The Doctor was currently digging busily away, scowling to himself. His movements were quick, almost birdlike, and seemingly haphazard, but when she looked closer she saw that there was a certain method to his madness, as he gently moved aside the dust of an old civilization in search of something more substantial. The sun glinted off his hair in dusty beams that shifted every time he tossed his head, and there was a smudge of dirt on his cheek. As she watched, he reached up to rub it off, and caught her watching.  
  
She met his gaze squarely, feeling her own expression soften as she did so. His eyes searched hers for a moment, wonderingly, and then dropped as he resumed rubbing at his cheek.  
River leaned over. “I’ll get it, sweetie,” she murmured, letting her voice drop to a purr. The Doctor’s eyes grew suddenly very wide, but he leaned into her touch as she unerringly cleaned his face off. “You need to be more careful when you dig. Less of the flinging dirt around like you’re some sort of exotic bird.”  
  
“I do not look like an exotic bird,” said the Doctor.  
  
River smirked. “Luckily for you, I find exotic birds very attractive.”  
  
The Doctor cleared his threat very loudly. “Aren’t we supposed to be digging?”  
  
“Oh, all right,” River said, deciding to be merciful just this once. She picked up her shovel, and the Doctor followed suit.  
  
Half an hour passed, mostly quietly. River found an ancient statue of the Artatraxians’ goddess, who looked terribly familiar. She began to get suspicious. “Sweetie–”  
  
He suddenly let out a delighted exclamation. “River! River, look!” He held up a small, dull silver object, polishing it madly with his shirt. “I wondered why Amy could never find it!” He finished polishing it and handed it over to her. It was a delicate silver necklace with a pendant shaped like an “A.” River grinned. Her mum was a wonder.  
  
She gave him the goddess statue. “We should give this to her as well.”  
  
His eyes widened. “I knew the Artatraxians liked her, but _really_!”  
  
“Never underestimate a Pond,” River told him cheekily. “I think we have what we came for. Shall we go?”  
  
The Doctor nodded, taking back the necklace and holding it with great care. They packed up and headed back to the Tardis.  
  
Just as they reached the doors, the Doctor stopped abruptly. “Wait, wait, wait-wait-wait,” he said. He pointed an accusing finger at her. “You knew! You knew all along! That’s why you came! You didn’t need to be so overdramatic about it.”  
  
River smiled enigmatically, and snorted privately at the idea of the Doctor scolding anyone for being overdramatic.  
  
He looked delighted. “Amy will be happy,” he declared.  
  
“That was rather the point, sweetie,” River said. “Shall we?”  
  
He nodded and made to open the doors before turning around again. “You,” he said, “are a wonderful person.” He gulped, and then suddenly leaned forward and kissed her.  
  
River felt a small start of surprise–this was the first time a younger him had initiated anything of the sort–but decided she liked it. She leaned forward and deepened the kiss. The Doctor’s eyes fluttered closed before springing open. He leaped away from her, flinging open the doors. “Anyway!” he said, blushing deeply. “Let’s go visit your parents.”  
  
River sighed. He was awkward at any age, but at least his older self wouldn’t have had any compunctions about undressing her right there and then.  
  
Still, her lips still tingled from the kiss, and watching his rapidly receding back, ridiculous hair flouncing, arms moving nonstop, she felt a sudden, warm rush of love.  
  
She could live with this, she thought, and went to write it down in her diary.  


**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!  
> You can also find me on [tumblr](https://actual-bill-potts.tumblr.com).


End file.
